Tapping the will power reserves

Sunday.

Yesterday, in the car, driving home from the gym, Matthew and I, had an endorphin fueled conversation about out workout. Mid-January we made it our goal to make it to the gym at least four times a week.  We exceeded our goal by one day! Holler!!!

Feel badass and riding the waves of awesomeness, we decided to tackle an even bigger challenge: Lent. Dun dun dun.

Matthew says very matter of factly- “you and I have not really tapped our will power reserve.” Challenge accepted.

Traffic lights by traffic light, we began to make a list of things we were determined to live without for the upcoming forty days. Matthew’s list- alcohol, sodas, and one other item that escapes my mind. My list: soda, fried foods and bread.  Oh and we also agreed to make it to church every Sunday during Lent.  Then came the list of threats. Wait…let me take us back to fee days ago.

Matthew attended a training for work in which he learned about SWOT analysis and using threats to achieve desired results. So we have been using this threat system to accomplish things. For example: making it to the gym five times this week was a direct result of us agreeing that if we didn’t, Matthew would not be able to play Halo 4 for a week and I would have zero Greg’s anatomy reruns.

This morning.

At the wee hours of 5:30 a.m as we prepared for our morning trek to the gym, as if we had both been struck by psychic abilities- we remembered the threats.

1. Consuming the crap we decided to give up. For this epic failure of the wills- The Threat: we will be forced to workout at the gym without our ipods.  Yes- we went there. Yes, shit just got real.  For nothing sucks more than not having music to tune out the heavy, sweaty breathers all around you.  Not to mention it makes an hour workout seem like two.

2. Skipping out on Church.  We are by no means holy rollers. In fact, I think we last stepped in to the house of God in November.  I have been feeling like I need more Jesus in my life and I figure if I’m working on my fitness-might as well hit the spiritual fitness as well. What happens if we sleep in and miss mass? Our threat: No Walking Dead for that week.  Yeah…I know, wtf are we thinking but threats are supposed to help us achieve our goals.  I hope this is true.

3.  A few blogs ago, in January, I wrote about trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.  I have decided I want to be a writer.  However, I lack discipline…sometimes. My commitment is to write everyday for the next forty days.   Sounds easy enough right? Lord, I hope so.  My threat: Deactivate Facebook for a week. Yes, we just went from sane straight into cray cray land.

As I write this, on the eve of Lent…er Fat Tuesday, I can not help but feel excited and terrified out of my mind all at once.  Yes, perhaps we are using this time of year to fuel are weight loss goals but the truth is there has to be something therapeutic, cathartic and cleansing in the process.  So invite you reader to follow along, hold me accountable (if you want-no pressure here, I am all about holding yourself responsible to you) and laugh.  Yes, laugh at my expense, I don’t mind.  It builds character.

Let’s do this.

Please don’t let it be Monday (or how I managed to blow this time off on trash tv…)

I have often considered myself a masochist since I have always been drawn to non-profit work.  Three months ago my world changed. The power of the internets and the hatred for the job i was in compelled me to fill out an application. Thirty minutes later it was submitted. Fifteen hours later I had a job interview.  Seventy hours later I was offered a job with a school district.  My heart was happy, delighted, ecstatic because working for a school district means one thing and one thing only- SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!!!

The countdown to Christmas Vacation began the Monday after Thanksgiving.  Having spent most past five holiday seasons working- I was very well aware that I needed to be effective and efficient with my time off.  No slacking off here. No throwing away hours of daylight. 
I was going to conquer the world drive two hours away to hike alone and reflect (Matthew killed that dream quickly when he mentioned that I would not like him hiking alone. Blah.

Holiday break 2012 I was going to party like Bon Jovi after a concert.  Yes, sir!

Wrong.

First week- Sick out of my mind.  You would have thought I was Mary Ingalls with the whooping cough. Wait…I think she had Scarlett fever.  All I know is that I was sick, yet nothing was going to stop me from cooking and preparing Christmas Eve dinner for our families.  As a result the next few days were spent sleeping and resting. 

Second week- I promised myself that this would be the week to clean.  I would finally rearrange the bedroom and organize my closet and conquer Mount Clean Clothes.  Mount Clean Clothes is a natural landmark in our bedroom. It is a result of countless mornings in which I can not find a single thing to wear.  Outfits are born and then ripped off because they are not quite me. 

We are now seven minutes away from midnight-Friday and I barely touched Mount Clean Clothes a few hours ago.  Most of this week has been spent sleeping and watching trash TV and the Big Bang Theory.  Matthew has been super supportive and has not made feel guilty once.  However, I must say that early today I cringed thinking about the other night when Matthew sat on the couch reading a book and provided commentary on Sister Wives.  Completely unacceptable. I’m an intelligent woman, I know better.  But omg there are so many TV shows I had no idea existed- shows about tattoo competitions- saying yes to a dress and lots of housewives shows.  The truth is that I know come Monday, I will no longer have time for this nonsense.

And I sit here completely disappointed in myself.  My list of awesome activities lost somewhere in the sleeping and cable TV. I am in a state of mourning…sad about everything that could have been. 

So instead I sit here too awake to fall asleep (thanks to two nap Thursday) reflecting on the small accomplishments of the past two weeks.

• Watched the entire Indiana Jones series
• Surprised Matthew with the complete Batman the Animated series
• Planned and prepared both a Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve party in our home.
• Finally figured out how to turn off the xbox. 
• Completed another chapter of Resident Evil 6.
• Conquered the crock-pot!

Monday- all I ask is that you go easy on me.